A Bullhead City man who blew his chance for guaranteed probation will instead go to the Arizona Department of Corrections for six years. Jonathan Hegge, 37, was sentenced by Mohave County Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle last Friday (Ap. 26).
Hegge entered a unique plea agreement in February that provided incentive for him to kickstart restitution payments on the more than $67,000 in benefits he and his wife stole over a 22 month period from the Arizona Department of Economic Security. He was guaranteed probation provided he paid back $2,000 up front and that he showed up for his March sentencing hearing.
Hegge did neither.
Defense attorney Brad Rideout told the Court that Hegge has some drug addiction relapse and recovery issues and that he didn’t have the $2,000 and was afraid of attending the sentencing hearing.
“I do apologize,” Hegge told the Judge. “I did have some ups and downs and failed to do what I said I would do. I hit rock bottom.”
Hegge told the judge he was rebounding. He said he had secured a job and he asked for probation so he could provide for his children and make restitution.
Judge Carlisle noted that Hegge failed three key initial terms of the plea agreement. He said Hegge didn’t complete probation paperwork, didn’t make the $2,000 payment and skipped sentencing.
“He compounded the problem by not showing up,” Carlisle said, rejecting the probation request.
The Judge imposed a four year sentence for the benefit theft. He tacked on two years more for an assault conviction arising from an incident in the county jail.
